This invention relates generally to life saving apparatus and has particular reference to a device for holding both a life ring and its associated retaining line in precoiled attitude for instant use during an emergency. Such life saving equipment is found on boats, docks and other installations on the water and usually includes a ring buoy hung at various locations in readiness to be thrown to a person who has fallen overboard or is otherwise in distress near the boat or installation. Usually when such an emergency situation occurs, the ring buoy must be instantly ready for use and there is not time for complicated preparation or laborious assembly of equipment. The retrieval line normally provided is generally essential for pulling the person in distress towards the boat or installation or for retrieving an improperly thrown ring buoy for a subsequent try.
Many such holders either for the ring buoy itself or for its associated line exist and include such devices that provide supports solely for the ring buoy such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 583,221 issued May 25, 1897 and British patent specification No. 107,853 issued July 19, 1917 and those which provide for the support of both the life ring and its associated retrieval line such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,260,109 issued Oct. 21, 1941 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,690,152 issued Sept. 28, 1954. Such prior art devices generally are however somewhat complex in their operational modes and in many cases require the associated retainer line to be precoiled about a drum or other feeding mechanism which reduces the flexibility of the device and in some cases needlessly increases its complexity. Other prior art devices provide either no retention means for the coil line or a simple mechanism remote from the life ring support. In all such cases it would be more desirable to be able to place such line in coiled position in such a manner associated with the life ring holder so that when the life ring holder is removed therefrom the coiled line is readily available and in an uncomplicated flexible position so that the person assisting in the emergency situation can best determine the manner in which such situation will be met without need for review or study of complex operating mechanisms. It will further be desirable to permit one handed removal of the life ring so that the other hand would be available for grasping the associated line in a standard toss position.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a life ring holder which not only supports a life ring in ready use for an emergency situation but also supports a coiled length of associated retainer line in a similar ready position in such a manner that when the life ring is removed therefrom the line is available for simultaneous use in connection therewith.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a combination life ring and associated retainer line support wherein emergency functioning thereof is obvious when grasping the life ring for emergency use and thereafter its operation is automatic so as to free the associated coiled retainer line for immediate use.
Another object is the provision of a combination holder of the aforementioned type wherein the life ring supported thereby may be simply removed in one handed operation by the user.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a combination holder for a life ring and its associated coil retainer line of the type above described in which an alarm generally hidden from view so as to reduce tampering therewith is activated by the movement of such support from an open storage position to a relatively closed emergency use position.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a life ring support which will accommodate a wide variety of life ring sizes to accordingly eliminate or reduce the need to provide each size life ring with a different size support.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a combination support including a frame adapted for mounting in a generally vertical disposition and having upper and lower portions thereof, each portion having an outwardly extending member adapted for retaining contact with portions of a ring buoy and movable with respect to each other from an open storage position wherein the line associated with such ring buoy is coiled in a relatively taut disposition thereabout the frame to a closed use position where the life ring has been removed from the frame and the coiled line is loosely supported thereby.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent when the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection to accompanying illustrative drawings.